Uno-X Pro Cycling Team

[Broccolidwarf]

They might even sign one of each.
Or find another Pedersen somewhere... I'm sure there are a bunch of Pedersens hiding around in Denmark.

Mads & Casper - unless Per Pedersen is coming out of retirement

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Yep, that's true. Strange, for the 20 years I've followed cycling, we (Norway) mainly have had one day riders and sprinters. And the classic riders have almost solely been best in the cobbled classics. First Arvesen, then Hushovd, Boasson Hagen and Kristoff. And there have been close to none GC riders of quality. Then suddenly now, there are many climbing and GC talents. Foss, Leknessund, 2xHalland Johannessen and Andersen. At least two or three of these could be a natural core in a Norwegian WT-team in the middle of the 2020s.

Don't you think it's because all the Norwegian kids living in the mountains, have usually gone for cross country skiing as their endurance sport?

As far as I know, It's only in the last 15-20 years, that Norway has made a conscious effort to promote cycling, and the results of that will start to emerge in the next few years.

Another thing is, that I think training in winter can be difficult in Norway, it's not like living in the Alps or Pyrenees - even if global warming has made things a little easier than it used to be

 

[OlavEH]

Don't you think it's because all the Norwegian kids living in the mountains, have usually gone for cross country skiing as their endurance sport?

As far as I know, It's only in the last 15-20 years, that Norway has made a conscious effort to promote cycling, and the results of that will start to emerge in the next few years.

Another thing is, that I think training in winter can be difficult in Norway, it's not like living in the Alps or Pyrenees - even if global warming has made things a little easier than it used to be

No, not really. Few of the top Norwegian skiers are from the more mountainous areas. A couple of our best biathletes and one or two of our best cross country skiers perhaps. Not more. For cycling it is a matter of the combination of Hushovd's performances and TV coverage. From around 2005 and onwards the number of kids and youth cycling in Norway increased drastically.

For matter of rider types, you could have a point about climate, and not able to train as much in the mountains as in southern Europe. And it could also be a bit coincidental. Hushovd and Kristoff could not have been anything other than sprinters/classics riders. EBH could have been at least a hilly classcis rider and some of the one week races, but chose a different path for cobbled classscis. But I'm not sure if it is a result of concidence or a intentional plan for Uno-X or someone else in Norwegian cycling that we suddenly have several GC talents/climbers now.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

No, not really. Few of the top Norwegian skiers are from the more mountainous areas. A couple of our best biathletes and one or two of our best cross country skiers perhaps. Not more. For cycling it is a matter of the combination of Hushovd's performances and TV coverage. From around 2005 and onwards the number of kids and youth cycling in Norway increased drastically.

For matter of rider types, you could have a point about climate, and not able to train as much in the mountains as in southern Europe. And it could also be a bit coincidental. Hushovd and Kristoff could not have been anything other than sprinters/classics riders. EBH could have been at least a hilly classcis rider and some of the one week races, but chose a different path for cobbled classscis. But I'm not sure if it is a result of concidence or a intentional plan for Uno-X or someone else in Norwegian cycling that we suddenly have several GC talents/climbers now.

Agreed.

There is also the obvious mathematical fact, that it is harder to get an even spread of talent, in a small base of riders.

It is curious though, that historically flat Denmark has made puncheurs and climbers, while mountainous Norway has made rouleurs and sprinters

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Fuglsang is the obvious choice, but he will be quite expensive, and would probably need to be sure the team is going to the Tour in 2022 - so will probably take a co-sponsor coming in.

But there are other, cheaper options about, for instance they should sign Hellemose, who got 5th at the baby Giro (Johannessens got 2nd and 8th), they should also move up Charmig to the main squad.

I’m not sure Fuglsang would like to step down (and I’m not sure UnoX would touch a rider with his luggage regarding Ferrari rumors), but UnoX with Fuglsang and Kristoff would be a great shout for wild card to the Tour which starts in Denmark.

Hellemose sounds very interesting, but I don’t know his contract or his connections to other teams.
Charming will guaranteed step up to the main team, I think he already does this autumn.

 

[OlavEH]

I’m not sure Fuglsang would like to step down (and I’m not sure UnoX would touch a rider with his luggage regarding Ferrari rumors), but UnoX with Fuglsang and Kristoff would be a great shout for wild card to the Tour which starts in Denmark.

Hellemose sounds very interesting, but I don’t know his contract or his connections to other teams.
Charming will guaranteed step up to the main team, I think he already does this autumn.

Is ranking points an issue if they are going to attain a WT lisence for 2023? Do they need to increase their ranking points for next year?

 

[RedheadDane]

Mads & Casper - unless Per Pedersen is coming out of retirement

Rasmus Lund is technically a Pedersen too.

See! There's a whole bunch of Pedersens!

Search | ProCyclingStats

 

[Broccolidwarf]

I’m not sure Fuglsang would like to step down (and I’m not sure UnoX would touch a rider with his luggage regarding Ferrari rumors), but UnoX with Fuglsang and Kristoff would be a great shout for wild card to the Tour which starts in Denmark.

Hellemose sounds very interesting, but I don’t know his contract or his connections to other teams.
Charming will guaranteed step up to the main team, I think he already does this autumn.

Fuglsang would only be relevant, if they were ensured a wild card for the Tour, otherwise you are completely right he will not step down..... but him signing would go quite a long way in ensuring that, as his points alone brings the team to 15th rank.

Hellemose doesn't even ride at continental level yet, he is with a Swiss/Italian club team, so he should be pretty easy to pick up.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Rasmus Lund is technically a Pedersen too.

See! There's a whole bunch of Pedersens!

Search | ProCyclingStats

I mean sure, but your list starts in 1917, so I am thinking quite a few of those people are over the hill

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Fuglsang would only be relevant, if they were ensured a wild card for the Tour, otherwise you are completely right he will not step down..... but him signing would go quite a long way in ensuring that, as his points alone brings the team to 15th rank.

But points doesn’t count for TdF Wild card does they?
ASO could still just pick the French teams

 

[RedheadDane]

I mean sure, but your list starts in 1917, so I am thinking quite a few of those people are over the hill

There's this kid!

Mads Mosevang Pedersen (procyclingstats.com)

 

[Broccolidwarf]

But points doesn’t count for TdF Wild card does they?
ASO could still just pick the French teams

As far as I recall, the top placed pro team automatically gets an invite - and then the organiser has 2 wild cards further?

If Alpecin steps up to WT level for 2022, signing Fuglsang would make Uno-X the top Pro team.

Also, with the start being in Denmark, I am guessing ASO would be hard pressed to exclude a "Dane heavy" squad, with Fuglsang as the leader.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

As far as I recall, the top placed pro team automatically gets an invite - and then the organiser has 2 wild cards further?

If Alpecin steps up to WT level for 2022, signing Fuglsang would make Uno-X the top Pro team.

Also, with the start being in Denmark, I am guessing ASO would be hard pressed to exclude a "Dane heavy" squad, with Fuglsang as the leader.

With Fuglsang's current points they would still be behind Arkea and TDE, and I'm not even sure that his points would actually count.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

With Fuglsang's current points they would still be behind Arkea and TDE, and I'm not even sure that his points would actually count.

Fuglsang's points (as of today), would bring them to 2,622, placing them between ISN and Cofidis on the official UCI team ranking.

And yes, riders bring their points with them when they change teams.

 

[ciranda]

Hellemose doesn't even ride at continental level yet, he is with a Swiss/Italian club team, so he should be pretty easy to pick up.

Never gonna happen, he has offers from world tour teams for sure. Fuglsang speculation is just as crazyworld.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Fuglsang's points (as of today), would bring them to 2,622, placing them between ISN and Cofidis on the official UCI team ranking.

And yes, riders bring their points with them when they change teams.

Not for the 2021 World Ranking, which the ProTeam invite will be based on. After the TdS Fuglsang now has 590 points, but I don't think they will count, because it will be based on the last day ranking of this season alone. Anyway Arkea and TDE would still be ahead as it stands now.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Never gonna happen, he has offers from world tour teams for sure. Fuglsang speculation is just as crazyworld.

Im not anywhere near being a pro cyclist, but I find it a bit surprising how many your riders jumps directly to WT before they are “ready” for it. In the case of Hellemose for example, it would in my opinion make a lot of sense to go to a PCT team where he can ride some bigger races as team mate but also maybe have some chances to ride for himself. In a WT team you won’t get many chances unless you are a really good youngster like Pidcock etc.

I think Uno-X and some other PCT teams are also better “scientifically” when it comes to training/diet etc than some WT-teams also.

 

[ciranda]

Yeah you could argue that in some cases maybe. But Hellemose has been one of the best guys in the Italian under 23 races this season and last and it's his last under year. He looks super ready.

 

[Offline]

Not sure what to think about this team. They get so much hype and goodwill.
But by end of the day it is paid by oli money and its only for white riders.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Yeah you could argue that in some cases maybe. But Hellemose has been one of the best guys in the Italian under 23 races this season and last and it's his last under year. He looks super ready.

But isnt the step from “Italian under 23 races” to WT pretty big?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

But isnt the step from “Italian under 23 races” to WT pretty big?

Other riders have taken the step after having showed less than Hellemose. I had however expected him to do a little better in the Baby Giro this year, but if he gets a WT contract for next season, it still wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Not for the 2021 World Ranking, which the ProTeam invite will be based on. After the TdS Fuglsang now has 590 points, but I don't think they will count, because it will be based on the last day ranking of this season alone. Anyway Arkea and TDE would still be ahead as it stands now.

You do realise we are in 2021, right?

And yes, obviously it's end of the season points, but since we have no idea what they are, we have to go by the current points, for the purpose of the debate.

Are you looking up the ranking on PCS? - If you look on UCI's own HP, you will see I am right on the numbers

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Not sure what to think about this team. They get so much hype and goodwill.
But by end of the day it is paid by oli money and its only for white riders.

Actually, it's mostly supermarket and convenience store money - the oil business is just the brand they use for the team, but in terms of the business, it's a smaller part.

As to why they chose that brand - I have no clue

The racism thing is completely wrong, if you are a rider of colour from Norway or Denmark, you get equal opportunity for sure.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

You do realise we are in 2021, right?

And yes, obviously it's end of the season points, but since we have no idea what they are, we have to go by the current points, for the purpose of the debate.

Are you looking up the ranking on PCS? - If you look on UCI's own HP, you will see I am right on the numbers

The best ProTeam on the 2021 World Team Ranking will get invites to all 2022 WT races and the second best will be guaranteed invites to WT one-day races only, unless one or more of the current WT teams either get relegated or sell their licenses.

Uno-X was in 24th position with 1197 points in the last update (5th among the ProTeams), but they will probably only be the 7th best ProTeam when it gets updated later today. The team ranking doesn't take results from last year into account like the invidual ranking does, which is why Fulgsang's score is only 590 and not 1425, but he is obviously going to improve on that during the rest of the year. But as I said, I don't think those points would actually count towards this ranking, because he isn't a part of the team this year.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

The best ProTeam on the 2021 World Team Ranking will get invites to all 2022 WT races and the second best will be guaranteed invites to WT one-day races only, unless one or more of the current WT teams either get relegated or sell their licenses.

Uno-X was in 24th position with 1197 points in the last update (5th among the ProTeams), but they will probably only be the 7th best ProTeam when it gets updated later today. The team ranking doesn't take results from last year into account like the invidual ranking does, which is why Fulgsang's score is only 590 and not 1425, but he is obviously going to improve on that during the rest of the year. But as I said, I don't think those points would actually count towards this ranking, because he isn't a part of the team this year.

From the UCi website right now:

UCI Road Rankings

Individual ranking:
Fuglsang is 11th with 1775 points.

Team ranking:
Uno-X is 25th with 1203 points.

Total:
2978 points.

Cofidis is 15th with 2689.
Arkea is 16th with 2595
TDE is 20th with 2080 points

So yes, as of the standings today, signing Fuglsang would bring Uno-X to 15th, and provided Alpecin goes WT next year, that would make them the top Pro team.

And sure, none of us know how many points anyone makes, the rest of the year, so things can change, but that is how it stands right now.

Either way it's a moot point, because IF they signed Fuglsang, he would be part of a group of new riders signed, each bringing points, to ensure participation in the Tour next year - if not there would be no point.